I have always struggled with keeping up with a journal or a scrapbook. It always felt forced or something I would completely forget about in a few weeks. My journals were always weirdly spaced out, going weeks without writing anything down. I also love scrapbooking and the idea of having a physical memento of your life. However, I never had the time to print things out and make them absolutely perfect — it’s always too much stress. Recently on TikTok, videos of people junk journaling are on my feed, of easy ways to scrapbook, while also keeping track of your life — all without the stress and anxiety of perfection.
Why to Start
Sometimes life is messy, but messy can be memorable. Messy is things that happen to you every day, and things that you will want to be able to look back on in the future. While I think keeping a journal for your thoughts is important, having another option to fall back on is great. Your junk journal can be whatever you want it to be, including your written thoughts and ideas, photos like a scrapbook, or just straight-up junk. In our society, we rarely have the opportunity to be messy and express ourselves creatively. Through junk journaling, there is no pressure for perfection. It’s yours. To do whatever you want with it, decorate it however you want, and put whatever garbage you might throw away in it. Just because it doesn’t look like everyone else’s doesn’t make it imperfect. It’s your junk and your memories. Junk journaling can also be a relaxing activity to do instead of scrolling on your phone. It’s an easy and fun opportunity to create a physical keepsake for yourself. It’s not difficult, time-consuming, or expensive. Making something beautiful out of everyday things that you might throw away is a wonderful activity.
How to Collect Garbage
You might be thinking: I have literally nothing to put into my journal. And I promise you, you do. You just might not have been looking at it in the right way. That food wrapper you’re about to throw away? Perfect for your journal. A letter someone wrote you that you want to cherish forever? In the journal it goes! Anytime you are out and about, look around and see if there are things you might not have noticed, but would look fun taped into the pages of your journal. We are surrounded by junk that could be journaled.Â
What to Collect
Now this list can go on and on. Forever. Garbage is endless, and so are the things you can put in your junk journal. Anything from printed out pictures, like Polaroids or film strips, to food packaging. Business cards, receipts, letters, nametags, stamps, drawings, postcards, bookmarks, magazines, shopping bags, tickets, stickers, wristbands, pricetags, and candy wrappers. Literally anything that you can think of works perfectly. Anything that has a logo or cool lettering on it, free things, menus from restaurants, or something that you doodled. Anything. I’ve seen videos of people using the inside of an envelope, plastic bags that say “have a nice day”, fortunes from fortune cookies, and packaging from makeup. Something that you might’ve tossed away is now a page in your journal. And, since it’s a junk journal, it means you don’t have to purchase anything. I have seen plenty of people buying things for their junk journals, which kind of ruins the whole premise of a junk journal. The only thing you truly need is a journal, glue, and some junk.Â
Some Spread Ideas
Coming up with spread ideas can be difficult, but you can do whatever you want. One of my favorite ideas was a fruit sticker page, where I put a sticker in every time I eat an apple or a banana. Day trips or vacation spreads are also super fun since you can easily collect things like receipts, menus, maps, postcards, or stickers when you’re wandering around. I also think a grocery haul or finished skincare packaging would be really fun to do as well. Doing an about me page is also cool because you can include a picture of yourself and some of your current favorites, like food, drinks, music, makeup, and movies. Birthday or holiday spreads are also so fun since it’s pretty easy to find junk that fits into those categories.
And remember: this journal is yours. Do whatever you want with it. There are no rules or restrictions in the world of junk journaling. It’s not allowed since it is each individual’s garbage as a collection of memories.
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